One of the trendiest home computers available on the information technology market is Apple’s newest line of iMac desktops.  Apple has always been the front runner in suave, cool, computers since the original release of colored iMacs in the late nineties, and their newest line has the same hip factor, but packs a considerable punch along with the sleek lines and simple outlays.  Apple computers are different from Microsoft operating systems in more ways that one, and new customers should expect different capabilities from their devices.  Microsoft has prided themselves on cornering the business market and have designed their computers to appeal to employers and corporate structures.  Apple, on the other hand, markets themselves towards independent users; as a computer for creative minds, graphics and movie production, or personal use, an Apple iMac lacks some of the professional capabilities of Microsoft’s utility, but more than makes up for it by the advantage of hardware and software available.  For an iMac review, customers must understand the areas which iMacs are superior, but also those which they come up short in.

The newest models of Apple iMacs run on Intel computer chips rather than their predecessor IBM models, but Intel models are completely different from Microsoft PCs using Intel technology due to the capabilities of the operating systems.  While nearly every PC uses a Microsoft operating system — such as Windows ME — every iMac uses an Apple based operating system, simply referred to as OS.  The newest installment of Apple’s OS system is OS10.3.2, available standard on every new iMac.  Apple’s operating system uses a different interface with different icons, desktop layout, search features, loading, and startup features.  A veteran computer user, however, will have little difficulty transitioning to an Apple operating system, because iMac software is generally similar to PC software, and in many cases can run simultaneously on both platforms.

Intel computer chips have caused a mini revolution within the design of Macintosh computers, from iMacs to Powerbooks.  The look of newer iMacs is different from the colored models or the dome models; indeed, the computer simply resembles a monitor on a stand, lacking the “tower” format of previous G3 and G4 computers (or most PCs).  The slim hard drive is situated behind the monitor so there is no extra bulk to be hooked up.  Intel core iMacs use a gel cooling technology to prevent overheating.  Unlike older models with noisy fans designed to blow away hot air, the iMac is ultra quiet, and the gel is so efficient at cooling that the computer can run all day without heating issues (or causing the room to warm!).

There are different sizes and power capabilities of iMacs.  The largest, a 27 inch iMac — the screen is measured diagonally — is the size of a medium plasma screen television, and has the graphics to match it.  The 27 inch iMac runs quad core rather than dual core Intel chips, giving it unrivaled processing power.  A staggering one tetrabyte of memory powered by a three gigahertz processor allows for blazing fast programs and a massive amount of data storage, all showing up on the high definition liquid crystal display.  For this crown jewel of Apple’s product lineup, the cost is a cool two thousand dollars.  If your budget demands a more modest computer, the 21.5 inch iMac runs dual core Intel chips on a slightly smaller screen, with a five hundred gigabyte memory.  The smaller iMac costs only twelve hundred dollars.  Apple provides payment plans for six, twelve, or eighteen months so that customers do not need to absorb the entirety of the price tag in one go.

Once you’ve decided on the model that fits your capabilities next, the choices to install the iMac software you need for home, business, or entertainment allows you to customize your computer — turn it into a work tool, a family unit, or a gaming rig!  The major difficulty that many customers have with Apple computers is the lack of software designed for Apple operating systems.  While it is true that Apple based software only makes up ten percent of the market, there are plenty of options available, some for no extra cost, some entirely free.  Each program depends on your personal needs, but many are universally installed on new iMacs.

The most popular Apple application is the iLife software.  iLife allows Mac users to use a combination of business software, music and movie customization, picture hosting and modification, personal calendars and reminders, and email.  While some versions of iLife come standard on Apple machines, the standalone software costs one hundred twenty dollars.  Parts of the iLife package, such as iDVD, iPhoto, and iWeb can be downloaded individually for free, but the business package called iWork is unavailable except from purchase from Apple stores or the Apple homepage.  Although iWork contains the word processing, PowerPoint, and spreadsheet capabilities intended to rival the power of Microsoft Office, customers who prefer Microsoft’s package can simply purchase the Mac version of Microsoft office for one hundred dollars.

Those more interested in computer gaming may be disappointed by Apple’s capability to run games.  Although the graphics and processing power for even the newest, highest end games are more than  provided by the iMac’s power, many video game designers simply choose not to allocate time and money into transcribing their game’s programming onto Mac friendly formats given the small minority of the market that Apple enjoys.  Statistically, the majority of game enthusiasts are Microsoft customers, so most games released each year are not compatible with Apple computers, and can only be played when another software company transcribes the programming into Mac format and releases the game.  Some companies, however, are large enough that they can sell their games to both PC and Apple users; the most popular of which is gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment.  Blizzard releases each game — including the most popular computer game on the planet, World of Warcraft — to be playable with Apple hardware.

Although this is an irritation to iMac owners, it’s not a dead end.  Many companies have developed software which allows Mac users to run Windows operating systems on their computer, so that PC software can be used or played without having to purchase an entirely new computer.  Apple has released a program called Boot Camp, which, appropriately, allows you to reboot your computer to start up with Windows operating systems, like XP or ME.  Another company, called Cross Over, also gives Mac users the option to run PC products on an Apple, or vice versa.  Cross Over is available for free on their website.

Although Macs have blazing speeds, beautiful designs, and simple interfaces, there are some problems with released models of Intel iMacs, the most severe of which is dubbed “iMac lines”.  Certain models are prone to having monitor flaws, so that single pixel lines fail across the screen, replaced with a colored line that scars the display.  Apple has had to recall nearly half a dozen iMac line models produced during the middle of the decade because of thousands of such failures.  The good news, however, is that Apple prides themselves on customer service, so that if the monitor failure is reported to an Apple store, the company will replace the faulty part free of charge.

The choice to purchase an Apple iMac is that of the power and simplicity which cannot be found on PC models.  On the other hand, however, iMacs lack some of the capabilities that PC users are used to.  Visit a local Apple store to compare computers if you believe you could benefit from a new iMac.

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